Chelsea Lingenfelter

is a beautiful,intelligent, ambitious, 21 year old from Wellsville, Ohio. In High School she studied many languages, took college classes, and dreamed of traveling the world. After graduation, she enrolled full time in college, moved into a dorm, and started to persue her dreams. Sadly, after just 2 1/2 months, her liver began to fail and Chelsea found herself in the hospital.

At the age of 4, Chelsea was diagnosed with a rare liver cancer that only affects 2% of the population. After multible surgeries, and 40 rounds of chemotherapy, her cancer went into remission. Unfortunately her liver had taken a beating from the treatments, and she needed a transplant. When she was just 7 years old, she received a partial transplant donation from her mother. At the time, doctors estimated that the new lobe would last about 7 years. Its now been 14 years, and the donated tissue has hardened and is not fully functional. She needs another transplant, but this time she needs a fully intact liver, a partial donation will not work. Chelsea has been on the waiting list at The Cleveland Clinic for over a year and now time is of the essence. The wait has taken its toll on her body. Her kidneys have been working overtime to make up for her failing liver, and now they are beginning to weaken from the strain. She now requires regular dialysis so that her kidneys may rest and have some relief until she may be blessed with a liver donation. However a match has been difficult to find due to the specifications needed. Because the years of treatments have affected her growth, Chelsea is very petite, so the donor would have to be a child, or a petite adult, and they would also have to have Type O negitive blood. What we are asking is very difficult for us…we know that to save Chelsea's life, someone must lose theirs, and there are no words to describe the feelings we have about that. If anyone knows of a person who is near the end of their life, someone small in stature, with Type O negitive blood, we ask if the family would consider having their loved one’s liver be donated directly to this courageous young lady: Chelsea Lingenfelter, at The Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. Please call 1-304-914-8227 to have their loved one live on through Chelsea. Please, we ask for your generous donation as a potential life saving match for Chelsea. Won't you please be a part of this wonderful gift of life. You can also help by sharing this site on Facebook, Twitter, and just about anywhere else you can, to get the word out about Chelsea, the more people that know, the better chance we have to get her the help she needs. Thank You for caring.

UPDATE: 01/25/2013 Chelsea's mother Joni, would like to thank EVERYONE from the bottom of her heart for all of the prayers and love that you all have been sending their way, they need them now more than ever. She also asks that you continue to spread the word about ORGAN DONATION, and especially the DIRECT DONATION OPTION. Please reach out to everyone you know, and ask them to reach out as well, time is running out. While it can be a difficult subject to discuss, it is extremely important that you do. We will continue to provide udates as they become available, Please reshare this page, and continue to pray for Chelsea.

UPDATE 02/17/2013 11pm We got a call around 3 pm today, a possible match for Chelsea had been found, after a couple hours, it was confirmed a positive match and Chelsea is awaiting final word if she will recieve this gift of life. While we are ecstatic at the possibilities, we are also humbled that none of this would be possible if there wasn't a family out there suffering with the loss of a loved one. Our hearts, prayers, and deepest gratitude go out to them as we begin our long night of worry and anticipation. My God watch over us all in these next long hours. I will post updates as they become available.

Update 02/18/2013 9:00 amWe just got the all clear, the liver is a perfect match, and they will be wheeling Chelsea down to the O.R. anytime now. Please pray that the surgery goes well, and that Chelsea has the strength to pull through.

Update 02/18/2013 09:30 pm

To all our friends and supporters who have given so much in prayer, gifts and time, we are eternally saddened to let everyone know that today 2-18-13 at 2:43pm Chelsea went to be with all the other angels in Jesus's heaven. She will forever be the bond for Joni Rodgers Lingenfelter and I here on Earth.